


Sui Generis

by Solaripsis



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Antithetical AU, Can you tell I'm terrible at tags, Everything else is pretty much the same until that, F/M, Fluffy perhaps, Guess who dipper is, Human!Bill, I still consider Tad a demon, I'll tag it if there is a need, Kind of dark, Little to a lot of gore, Lots of aus inspired, M/M, Mabel and Gideon working together, Mysteries to solve!, Pacifica is his sister, Pre-Dreamscaperers, Robbie is a nerd an a main character, Stan is their Grunkle, They are both 14, Where's Stanford?, a demon woops, demon!dipper, plot heavy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-28 07:12:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5082598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solaripsis/pseuds/Solaripsis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they are invited to stay in Gravity Falls, Oregon with their great uncle Stan, twins Bill and Pacifica are both different to the subject. Bill is skeptical, but upon finding a journal, he realizes the small town is a lot more than it's cracked up to be. What one wouldn't expect however is to get mixed up in a fraudulent psychic and an enchantress' plans, wonder of their great uncle and his past, and bump into demons on more than a few occasions, specifically one that, just their luck, is targeting them.<br/>Things are just not as they seem, are they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nihil Est Normalis

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to the Antithetical AU! This is my first Billdip fanfic, so please don't chase me with pitchforks if they are a little OOC. It has some other AU elements and a lot of the characters roles are reversed.  
> This will probably be a slow burn, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless!

Gravity Falls.

When their parents decided to send them to the small town in Oregon, for so called "fresh air" the snarky blond was sure they meant it as both torture and an excuse to have time to themselves. Their opinions on the matter couldn't have been more different. His twin sister thought it'd be a great way to make new friends, as she always wanted to go out of state to somewhere more al fresco. He was, in a way, regretting ever stepping aboard the bus, trudging despondently to the back seats where she was knitting a sweater.

He pulled out a piece of paper from his backpack, basking in the sounds of many suitcases jostling with the road bumps. He scribbled triangles with his abysmal skill of the paper arts, sighing and muttering airily. "Billbie." 

The name made him look up, his sister Pacifica smiling. "Isn't this just great?" She placed the sweater in her lap to throw her hands up with a grin. Bill pulled down on his yellow baseball cap, embroidered with a corresponding yellow triangle.  
"I guess." He murmured, averting his honey gold eyes to the view of the treeline. He felt a nudge in his side and focused back to her.  
"Come on! Just imagine all the cool things you can discover!" 

He smiled a little, she always tried to cheer him up..She was grinning as well, revealing her silver braces. Would it hurt to give her the benefit of the doubt? Perhaps Gravity Falls wouldn't be as bad as he was thinking of it to be. "You're..You're right."  
"I'm always right!"  
Bill laughed and leaned back in the seat toward the window, watching the foliage pass by.  
He clutched the paper of triangles close to him, and it didn't take long for him to fall into the arms of Morpheus, the only thing to be heard was the bus and the humming of his sister to a familiar melody.

Bill awoke to hands gripping to his vest and pulling, "we're here!" He opened his groggy eyes and blinked away the blurry vision, licking his lips to rid it of that sleep taste. He scrambled behind Pacifica, dragging the suitcase tiredly. "Wait up Paz!" She was laughing, stepping out before going into awe.

"What?-" He nearly dropped the suitcase, flabbergasted by the beautiful blue skies and pine trees extending to the far beyond. "It's so beautiful." He said, admiring it with wide eyes. It wasn't as if something like this didn't exist in Piedmont (which really didn't), it was just..something about it felt magical, ethereal even. The sound of the bus door closing and kicking dust into his face snapped the thoughts away, instead leading him to choking on the dirt debris.

Pacifica was jumping, grinning brightly and grabbing his hand, "let's go!" Her other hand gripped onto her suitcase, speed and enthusiasm nearly making her brother drop his. A shack was just ahead, lost of it's letter 'S' and Bill was sure if his parents knew what he could assess at the moment, they wouldn't of sent them there to stay with their great uncle. 

Pacifica stopped to release the captive hand, rapping a hand on the door. She made her hands into binoculars and looked through the glass, "wow.." The door didn't open for a few minutes, suddenly striking her backward as it did. "Oh there you are kiddos!" He opened the door, ushering them in. Bill took a look around as Pacifica began talking, deadpanning from all of the fake exhibits.

"Eaglizard? Sascrotch?" He rolled his eyes, taking off his cap to run fingers through the blond locks, nearly dropping the cap when he was pulled into a noogie. "Not a social one are you! Why don't you say hello to your great uncle?" He ruffled his hair and pulled away with a face-splitting grin.  
"Grunkle Stan!" Pacifica piped up.  
"Uh..hello?" Bill placed the cap back on, replying in an unsure tone. "Is he always like this?" Grunkle Stan questioned toward his sister, who easily replied that he would get better. "Your rooms are up in the attic, and you'll have to make dinner for yourselves!" Before smirking and walking off.

"That was..one heck of a introduction." Bill immediately made his way to the stairs, clambering up them and ignoring the sound of the suitcase. Pacifica followed behind into the attic, beginning to put up her boy band posters. "This attic is awesome! Look at my splinters!" She flashed her hands, pinched by chips of wood.

"I don't know.." Bill stepped backward, taking in the view of a dusty and molded attic space, where the ceiling should practically be growing mushrooms. He turned to see a goat on his bed, bleating before adjusting it's jaw. "Aaaand there's a goat on my bed, this is.." He held his backpack tighter and shooed it off his bed as she walked over, petting it between the horns.

It began to chew on her sweater, "yes, yes you can chew on my sweater!" Bill stared at her in disbelief. Never did he, or did she expect that the summer was going to be a lot more than they imagined. That first began after Pacifica's wishes of a summer romance, and when Stan had told him to go put signs up for the Mystery Shack in the woods.

Bill was reluctant but went anyway, the signs held closely to him under his arm. The hammer was in the other, glinting under the sunlight as he stalked through the trees, pretty sure there was something out there. Call him paranoid, but he knew there was something weird about Gravity Falls. Even if Stan teased him for it.  
The woods just..unsettled him. Made him feel like he was being watched. With a sigh, he started to hammer up the signs, noting to himself that after this was done to run out as quickly as humanly possible. He brought the hammer down onto the last nail, suspending it in the tree and placing the arrowed sign over it. 'This way to the Mystery Shack!'.

Nodding for reassurance, he started his trek back toward the Mystery Shack, speeding up when a chill ran down his spine. He shuffled through a pile of pine needles, suspicious as it was, and found himself shouting as he fell. His hands grabbed the air, kicking to grapple onto the sides and failing. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, mind reeling and vision shaking. A pain skittered across his body, leaving a tingling numbness. A rock was sticking into his back, making it utterly sore.  
When he could get his focus back, he scrambled to his feet, hissing when his right ankle refused to push correctly. Bill rubbed it soothingly, staring upward to the sky view a few more feet taller than him.

"Dang it, where did this hole come from?" He muttered, sibilating. A golden flash in the corner of his eye alerted him to what was a book covered in dirt.

"That's what I landed on.." He rubbed the sure-to-be bruised spot and picked up what he first mistakened to be a rock, wiping off the thick dirt to properly see what caused the golden reflection. It was a gold hand with a '3' in black marker, or sharpie for all he knew, the binding being a burgundy. He flipped it open, opting to read it in lieu of getting out first. He read it to himself quietly.

"I can't believe it's been six years since I began researching the strange and wonderous secrets of Gravity Falls, Oregon." Bill started to flip through the pages, more and more dumbfounded by each entry. Floating Eyeballs? Gnomes? Barf Fairy? He grinned, "I knew there was something weird about Gravity Falls!"

"Billbie?!" He heard Pacifica scream his name, concern dripping in her voice. 

"I'm down here!" He tucked the book in his vest and threw his arms up, waving when she came into his view. "How'd you get down there?" She questioned, an eyebrow raised. He shrugged, stepping to the wall of dirt and planting his hands into it.

"Can you even get up?" Pacifica shouted, echoing. Bill merely nodded, earning a giggle. "With those noddle arms?" He dropped his hands to stroke his arm in defense, "noodle..arms?" Pacifica continued to laugh and flap her hand, "I was just joking!"

He kicked his good leg up and dug it into the wall, starting to hoist himself upward. She was already ready for him at the top, her hand intertwining with his and hauling him upward without success just as he was just about struggling to get out before his grip slipped. The soil crumbled under his hand and he fell back down a few inches, the book sliding from his vest. Pacifica was quick to snatch it up before it fell and set it aside, casting her attention into grabbing him with both of her hands and yanking. Bill thrust forward, falling face first into the grass beside her with a grunt.

"Thanks." He leaned up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.  
"Anything for you Billbie." Her eyes drifted from her brother to the book, reaching out to take it. "What's this-"  
"WOAH." He took it and drew it to his chest, eyes narrowed. 

He slid it behind his back, attempting to act as if didn't exist. He knew she wasn't dumb though, far from it. "What is it? Aren't you going to show me?" Pacifica placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Shame on you! After I saved you and everything." Bill whispered under his breath, closing his eyes. 

The breath of what he recognized to be the goat revealed behind him, the animal nibbling on his simple yellow undershirt. "I'll tell you somewhere more..private." He glanced around. Pacifica nodded and stood up, pulling him up with her. She skipped ahead, turning her head to see him falling behind.  
"What's wrong? You're never this slow." She laughed. Bill snickered a little in amusement, bending down to trace a hand over his sprained ankle. She immediately understood and sauntered over, throwing an arm over his shoulder to help him walk.

"You're really reckless you know that Billbie?"

-  
PLLK. PLLK.  
-


	2. Mutatio Est Inevitabilis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recreation of Dreamscaperers. "One must master the ability to time skip."
> 
> In which the paranormal nerd Bill, the funeral home son Robbie, and sweater loving Pacifica involve themselves with a demon.

He was right. He knew it.

The first of those thirty seconds when his sister revealed her boyfriend later that day, to his discomfort at the person's lacking ability to not slam in a wall every minute, he was sort of relieved. Then again, figuring out that it wasn't the walking dead but rather a bunch of gnomes was disconcerting enough.

The first month or so - if he was really focusing on that with all the mysteries - they had seen paranormal things beyond comprehension. Such as a nessie look-alike within the depths of the lake, turning out to be an invention of the Old Man Mcgucket. A collection of living and moving wax figures becoming a reality of those horror movies, and the worst was probably Pacifica's great idea to easily put down a eleven year old fraudulent psychic and turn him against them in the end.

Gideon, simply put, was a volatile little kid with somewhat of a temper tantrum. In her opinion, that moment was the worst, but for Bill it was far different. Having a crush on both Wendy, the redheaded cashier girl working at the Mystery Shack, and one with the lethargic Tambry was extremely perplexing. He was so split up, that he just had moments in the front of the shack, using his head to bang against things in hopes scrambling his head like an egg would fix everything. This had become routine.

"I don't know, I'm confused.." He would then run his hands down his face, hoping that latching on long enough would melt his face and end the horrible embarrassment. Pacifica would continue to snort and tease him, and then the next week he'd be over the ordeal. It had been more than an eventful week, and maybe he was kind of just hoping something more would happen. It was a twisted thought.

The blond walked into the living room where Stan sat, flipping through the channels, Pacifica sitting at his feet and watching the screen in intrigue. "Come 'er Billbie, look at this." If he hadn't known better, her tone was almost disgusted. Not wanting to just take his time, rather interested, he made a quick way to see the TV. He nearly cringed when a familiar white-haired forever bouffant styled kid appeared, singing.

"I dated that guy too.." Pacifica commented.

Wendy leaned against the chair, Soos beside her, the blond somehow not noticing her until that moment. A kind of defensive mechanism whenever his crush was in close proximity so to speak. "I'm sure he even stole my moisturizer.." She drawled off.

"And yet our mutual hatred for him brings us together." Soos proclaimed, gesturing to a center. Bill stole a glance at the redhead, focusing back onto the TV. When the Tent of Telepathy dropped onto the Mystery Shack, he glanced toward Stan in concern.

"Is that something we should be worried about?" Stan in no way looked worried at all, flapping his hand confidently.

"Please! The only way Gideon's taking over is by breaking in and stealing the deed." A moment of silence was probably enough to accentuate his statement, along with glass breaking if that didn't seem to be concerning.

"You mean..right now?" Wendy quirked an eyebrow. The twins were quick in following behind Stan to the room with the safe, hearing whispering. "-heaven's to betsy.." Stan opened the door, bathing the psychic in a yellow light.

"Well well Stanford! My arch-nemesis!" Gideon clapped his hands together in a silent echo. "It looks as if we've entered a dangerous game of cat and mouse, the question remains, who is the cat and who is the-?" The response was immediate with Soos handing their Grunkle the broom and them all watching as the psychic was brushed across the halls and out the front door into the rain.

"You mock my words Stanford! One day I'll get that code and once I steal that deed you'll never see the Mystery Shack again!" He was grinning. "Good luck bucko!" Stan exclaimed, slamming the door. Bill shared a look to Pacifica as he walked back into the safe room. "But what if he's right? What if he does get his hands on the deed?" He contemplated, his sister smiling widely.

"It'll be allllright!" Pacifica reassured, her high spirits never failing to calm his worries.

*;**;*

Bill hissed, rubbing the wound on his arm. Gravity Falls and it's myriad of bats, specifically one somehow ending up in the kitchen, were both mysteries in of itself. His head was getting wound with gauze by Pacifica, who was snipping it as Soos took his arm to rub on ointment and wrap it up. His mind was wandering quite aimlessly, taking into consideration of what the psychic said and that shape always seen around the house. Nobody really pointed it out, but he was curious as to why that specific shape was seen on nearly every rug. I mean, it was a common one..

"Billbie, you're going out of it again~" Pacifica chorused, breaking him away from his reverie.

"I know it's just.." Bill went silent, unable to finish the sentence without it making him sound crazy or obsessed.

"Don't worry about it dude! Me and your sister have it all covered!" Soos chipped in. The golden-eyed twin nodded, throwing himself off the seat when they were finished.

"Don't worry too much bro-bro!" Pacifica patted him on the back, smiling as she always did. Without reply, he stood there as she walked out of the room, leaving him and Soos to their own devices. She walked onto the porch of the Shack, seeing Robbie there picking up tourist's stray litter.

He wasn't exactly new to the job, having been there since the beginning of their summer as an 'marketing asset' by Stan, despite being that he already had enough employees to run the business. Not just as an asset, but because he got things done. He was always hard working, and was extremely nerdy like her brother. He was kind of prone to stating scientific facts at random times. "Hey Paz, how's your brother doing? I heard a girly scream." Robbie kind of laughed, pushing his black framed glasses upward.

"He's fine! Just had to fight a bat in the kitchen." Pacifica replied as if was a normal thing, walking up to him.

Robbie hummed in a knowing way, probably having dealt with a kind of situation like that before. Assuming from how nonchalant the sister was, one would take into account that the brother would tend to get in trouble quite often. It wasn't an understatement, he saw Bill handle paranormal creatures either 1, by studying it quietly, or 2, turning passive-aggressive which was as rare as hen's teeth. The proudly intelligent teen nodded to himself, he's gone on crazy adventures with them the whole of this part summer.

"That sounds..kind of reckless." Robbie would say, and the twins would just grin. 

Needless to say, the ocean-eyed teen grew a backbone for it and loosened up, having fun. He blinked, staring down to the blonde girl, who was currently trying to pull her arm as close to her as she could. She stuck her tongue out, desperately attempting in seeing if it was possible. If you were flexible, yes, Robbie thought. He set the bag of trash down to have a go at it, quickly gaining a chant from her. "Lick that elbow! Lick that elbow!" He was straining against his own body, his arms lithe enough he was only a few centimeters..

Something just struck him and he dropped it, "it's hopeless.." Draining out her voice, he paid extra attention to the surroundings that had jabbed at him not a moment before. There it was again. Pacifica noticed his body go stiff, confused. Blessed hearing, thank goodness. He thought to himself. Then it came again, louder, and Pacifica's expression contrasted instantaneously. It was of distaste and disbelief. "Is that who I think it is?"

That laugh was twinging something within her gut, pushing her toward the sound. The male was more or less unhappy going toward the disturbing noise, remembering that crazy as all obsessive preteen. He was tempted to tell them to go back, but he wasn't a coward. Robbie Stacey Valentino did not turn back on his friends, even if they did like to go toward the sounds of an angry bear. He stuck close behind for her reassurance, finding her kind of peeved at the thought of what was in those woods. Due to his height, and with her humor, she was yanking down foliage so it was an easier passage to him.

They made it to a clearing and hide behind the bushes, finding that, why can't he do his weird stuff away from the shack, he was saying a mantra of words in Latin. He pushed up his glasses, a habit when he realized something. The psychic fell to his knees and his eyes glowed a light blue, completely hypnotized by his own words. His heart dropped into his stomach when the world around them slowed, the flickering flames on the candles dwindling to a freeze frame, animals and insects pausing. Notably, everything turned grey expect for them and Gideon.

A laugh so preternatural had them looking to the skies, a lining separating and forming into a ruler, flaming out into a larger square shape. A fissure made room for a rolling and elongated horizontal pupil, and if it wasn't for the fact it was so chilling, the way it sprouted tiny black arms may of looked cute in a way. A bowler hat floated above the glowing blue square, an umbrella in one hand, purple waves of energy emanating off of it. "What can I do for you Gleeful?" The voice was loud yet polite, the creature's one eye closing as it floated closer to the ground.

Gideon was nervous, glancing around, "h..how do you know who I am?" The square was amused, twirling around him, "everyone knows you." He outstretched a small black finger to tap the turquoise bolo tie, "the kid who used a telekinetic infuse and summoned a demon. Word spreads fast." The snow haired boy was quickly sifting through the journal, switching his eyes between the drawing represented and the demon.

"You..you're not the one I wanted to summon." Gideon knitted his eyebrows together, perspiration making his hands clammy in the boiling hot presence that was the supernatural being. 

"I'm offended with how picky you are. People are busy, you can't always get what you want." The demon's hands went to where you'd assume it's hips to be, eyebrow raised with a good bit of patience. The boy was avoiding it's scrutinizing gaze. Maybe..

"Can you fulfill what I have to offer?" Gideon spoke up, trying not to stammer again. The demon laughed as if the question was ridiculous, "why yes. Getting into Stan's mind will be a pinch." He put out a hand expectedly, knowing he was going to take it. "I just expect your help with something else I've had planned, we can figure that out later over a cup of tea or something." 

Pacifica and Robbie shared a look. The psychic took the hand, "deal." Flames licked up their arms, dispersing as they separated.

The demon floated up into the air, "by the way Tad's the name, and being strange is my game! Reality is true, don't listen to that imbecile!" He glowed, waving the umbrella before disappearing completely. The world went back into motion, flushing once more with vivid color. The psychic was blinking rapidly, trying to process what happened, a grin splitting across his lips. He started to laugh. "This isn't good.." Robbie mumbled, staring back toward Pacifica, who he found was already stalking back through the brambles.

This Tad guy was nowhere near good news.

Pacifica was mumbling to herself, happy-go-lucky demeanor snuffed out. "I never thought he'd summon a demon of all things." She admitted, rubbing her arm as they approached the Mystery Shack. Though, she wasn't entirely what to expect. Gideon was unpredictable, a frenzy and a mess. Obsessive to the point he would threaten someone with shears. Even the mention of that telekinetic moment was worrying. She sped up, Robbie matching with her pace. Dwelling on that right now wasn't a good idea.

When they entered the Shack, they noticed Soos gone, Bill to be sweeping the floor, countenance of perplexity when Stan thrashed in his chair. Pacifica grabbed him and pulled out the journal from his vest, ignoring his protests. "We've got to help Stan! We were outside and heard a laugh, Gideon summoned a demon Billbie. He's going into Stan's mind for who knows what." Her pace was quick, not finding a single page in the journal that corresponded to the demon they saw. Bill groaned, rolling his eyes at the mention of the psychic.

"Great, how are we going to get in his head?"

Robbie contemplated with a hand in his chin, remembering his studies. The creatures of sin and mischief, some having special abilities that made them different from the others. Labeled like a dream demon, a specific type that could enter someone's mind and alter memories, dreams, or even personality. Rare as they were, they were dealing with one now. "A chant. There is a Latin chant that can get us into his head, from there we can stop it before it takes whatever it is." He placed a hand to the uncle's temple, watching him convulse grotesquely.

"We just have to touch his head," The twins followed behind and touched Stan's forehead, awaiting the next words. "Repeat after me." He started to chorus the ancient language, his eyes glowing blue much like what had happened to Gideon. Stumbling over their words, the adrenaline pushed them into saying it correctly, or maybe it was just the hypnotizing connection that somehow taught them fluent Latin. Their eyes glowed blue and everything was white. They were falling and falling and falling. 

Scrambling for something, Bill's vest caught onto a tree, panicking until he realized he was hanging. "Guys?" His voice echoed into the grey landscape, hand reaching up to grab the branch tightly. Struggling helplessly and just dangling, he gave up to stare out into the fog. Somewhat relaxed when the journal brushed against his body, he focused down below where his sister was holding upside down to a pencil thin branch, trying not to make any sudden movements.

Robbie popped out of a pile of grey-shades leaves, sending them fluttering. He crawled out of the pile and raised his arms to Pacifica, wordlessly catching her when she let go. The trust that allowed her to drop ten feet to an uncertain landing was baffling. Bill was trying to stay emotionless as Robbie raised his arms again, the other twin giggling. "Come on Billbie! You can do it!" Bill nervously laughed. It wasn't that he was 15 feet off the ground, not at all. It was just that he didn't know if that extra five feet would push the limits of the person catching him.

Struggling against the branch, it snapped above him suddenly with a jolt, sending him a little off the hoped course. Luckily Robbie was quick and Pacifica sidled up beside him, her arms protecting a certain break land. He shifted out of their arms, a muffled thanks escaping his mouth. It was quickly pushed aside what had happened, them all walking toward the speck of a building in the distance. "Was half expecting hot old ladies but.." Robbie didn't finish, netted by the broken swing set before he continued. "It's a lot less cluttered than I imagined."

Bill shivered, "it's a lot less scary than I thought too." Pacifica looked about in awe, turning around to gape at the sky which apparently broke into a black abyss alike that of chipped glass. The Mystery Shack was just ahead. "We have to watch out for the rectangle guy.." She spoke, vision darting around into the pine trees. The cue of saying it was like summoning the thing, their attentions all drawn to the rectangle relaxing in a chair near the entrance, umbrella tip pressing to the floor, one eye unblinking. "Too late," It replied with a sing-song, tipping it's bowler hat. They swore that the ground tilted with the movement.

"Hmm the Pines and Valentino family up for another score? Don't worry, I won't hurt your uncle." His eyelid crinkled. "I just need the code to that safe of yours and I'm out of here, no tricks included." Tad was mocking them by telling them what he was looking for, calm like nothing could stop him. He picked at his claws, the purple glow of his body flickering with the collective expressions of fear and anger mixed together. Bill was seething, unable to control his body. "That's not gonna happen, you equilateral asshole!" He lunged at the demon, already regretting it. Tad merely sucked him into his body, shooting him out.

Bill tumbled, rolling and spluttering for a breath. Robbie helped him get up, Pacifica glaring heatedly at the demon, so intense it always frightened anyone who saw it. Tad was one such person that wasn't effected. "Such language! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" His chuckled reverberated. Several cuts started to appear along the blond's body, not bleeding but burning with a stinging sensation. "Well I'm going to get going. I have no time to dally, see you on the other side!" The demon piped up again, floating off the chair and through the doorway of the shack, taking his sweet time while doing so.

Bill felt at the gashes on his sun-kissed skin, a unpleasant and vex coil threatening to spring inside his stomach. "I'm okay Paz." He said, brushing off his sister's examining hands of worry gently, cleaning the sod off his shorts. He walked forward to the entrance, leaving the other two no choice but to follow behind quickly if they wanted to keep up. The inside was a lot more bigger than the out, simply a trick of the mind they were in. Robbie started to point at the bottom of the stairs, an archway reading 'Memories'. 

"If we find that memory of that code before Tad, we might just have an advantage." He said, crossing his arms.

Bill glanced up at him, "how do you know that?" 

Robbie shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I read up on demonology all in my middle school years. Don't ask." That was that then. They stepped down the stairs and into the archway, watching memories of the past few weeks play out before them. It was strange seeing everything all over again from a third point of view. From Stan fishing alone in the Stan o' War to him giving Pacifica the job of being the boss for three days, which ended horribly and amazing at the same time.

There was countless doors, how would they find a specific one? They knew they had to split up and they did, walking down different halls and opening doors. Bill had to admit, there was some embarrassing bits in anyone's life, but their Grunkle didn't care of a single one. He looked up to their great uncle over the summer. To be a good con man, you had to be good at these things, and he found that admirable. Amoral beside. He halted at the larger door, more prominent than the others. A triangle was at the top of giant lettering, 'BILL MEMORIES' followed with 'KEEP OUT!' Curiosity was one thing Bill was a victim to, and in his sisters terms, an unhealthy dosage more than the average human.

He was in a sort of mental conflict, contemplating if it was worth it. Fall to curiosity or save your Grunkle? The answer was obvious so he left it alone, a prickling at the edge of his mind nagging to just open it. "Focus!" He said to himself. "Focus!" Gesturing forward, he trained on the one thought once they were out of this demonic mess. Where would Stan hide an important memory? Searching once again, he was flipping open doors and closing them. Sometimes repeatedly until he found the thought was nagging him too much. Trying to ignore how it made him feel like a terrible nephew, he opened the one door he said he wouldn't open.

Telling himself it could be in here, he watched the memories unfold before him. Bill never took their grunkle's rough attitude to heart, but hearing the ringing inside his head was almost too much. Clean the bathroom! Sweep the Shack! Bill, the toilet's clogged! Rather irritated in a mask of disbelief, he kept searching. Meanwhile the others had no clue whatsoever, unknowing to how many places they peeked in, how many things they saw. Some to regret most definitely. "Where do you think he would hide it?" Robbie inquired after they all met at a converging of paths. "He hides his arrest warrants under the mat doesn't he?" Bill suggested, arms crossed.

"Yeah!" Pacifica brightened up, pointing to a strangely designed mat nearby. "Under there!" The possibility of it being under that mat wasn't hopeful, but it was a better chance than any. She yanked it to the side, smiling at the shoddy wooden door with a rusted handle. She grabbed it and heaved it upward, all their heads peeking from an upward view to their uncle. "13..44.." She shut the door with a bright grin. 

"We found it!" Robbie hummed and nodded, "we need to destroy it before Tad finds it." Pacifica was instantly at his side with an axe she found on an empty knight's suit. "That's dangerous.." He said and she laughed, raising it above her head.

"Dangerous is my middle name!" The axe embedded into the floor, ignoring the physics of the memory door.

"You guys really are gullible, I tell you." Bill had a unsettling grin sneak across his face for a mere moment, his body sucking inward into a rectangular shape. The demon floated above them, the memory clasped in his claws. "You jerkface!" Pacifica shouted, not hesitating to call him out. Tad was ignoring her, humming a melody as he tipped the bowler hat. 

"It was fun while it lasted, but I have a deal to fulfill." He was floating off quickly, the two tailing behind the demon into a separate room. He opened up the communications, telling the psychic the code.

Pacifica pulled a nyarf gun from her sleeve, a smirk on her lips. "You think it's strong enough?" Robbie questioned quietly as she loaded the foam bullet.

"Definitely." Was her terse reply, cocking it back and pulling the trigger. It spiraled at the door, ripping it from the demon's grip and sending it falling into a memory. Tad was trying to get a hold of it, fumbling into the bottomless pit where a memory Stan indirectly mocked him. She blew at the tip of the gun, slipping it back into her sleeve with a laugh. She knew that would come in handy to keep around someday.

Tad was in disbelief at first, pupil moving to them and back toward the door. He wasn't sure if he was angry or impressed, but the first seemed to get him the most. He turned, form glowing hotly and boiling, his hands clasped together in a calm manner unlike what he was truly experiencing. A burning rage that was only a simple flicker against his body. 

"You kids are amusing, really." He closed an eye, hands erupting into a dark purple flame. "But do you know what that cost us? Do you have ANY CLUE?!" Flame was licking the ground, surrounding them and whipping about furiously. "You're going to get what's COMING for YOU, since you CALLED for it."

The ground shook and swayed, the two were wearing frightened expressions. He raised his hands, shooting them up into the sky. Pacifica gripped tightly onto Robbie's vest until her knuckles turned white, blond hair flying wildly around her, blue eyes wide in fear. Her only thought crossing her mind was where her brother was and if he was okay. Please be okay. 

Bill opened another door, met with a moment he found pride in. Stan whacked him on the head with a newspaper, told him to cut the logs, and he did. He tried anyway. He sighed, thinking about how weak he was before that moment. Splitting that firewood did wonders for him. "..he's a loser. He's a complete embarrassment. Sometimes I want to get rid of him." Stan leaned into Robbie to tell him, Bill feeling a volatile cocktail of emotion filter through him. He about shut the door, and somewhere in his soul, he believed those words. His hand only trembled to close when it continued.

"That's what they used to say to me. I was the biggest wimp on the playground." Stan sat somewhat straight again, a door opening behind Bill. He turned toward it, listening to his Grunkle as other doors opened on their own. Showcasing memories of a past he never knew. They both had it hard. "That's why I'm so hard on Bill. To toughen him up. So when the world fights, he fights back." Robbie smiled at that, staring out to the twin. The kids had a good uncle. Bill began to smile, leaning against the memory. That made him really happy. He stumbled forward, caught off guard, staring over to his uncle.

"What are you doing in here?" Stan questioned, noticing the wounds on Bill's body. With a twirl of his finger, the cuts closed into themselves and vanished completely. Thinking he was dreaming, which was kind of ironic, he patted his face. The gash was no longer there. "It's the mindscape kid, you can do anything here. Just imagine it and it happens." As if to prove that, he conjured up a bottle of pitt cola and opened it, taking a sip. The sound of crackling and explosions caused them to all look at the door, blue light basking on the floor in intervals.

"What am I doing? I've gotta stop Tad!" Bill shouted, running out. "Fighting back.." Stan smiled himself, staring back to memory Bill, who was still celebrating cutting the log. The blond was trying not to stumble as he turned the corner, leaving the memories of himself behind. He felt extremely bubbly for some reason. He abruptly stopped, tilting his head to the hole in the ceiling. It was splintered, the debris long gone, the sky through it no longer grey but a mesmerizing cosmic bloom. He stared down to his hands, his uncle's words reverberating, a smile tugging at his mouth. Bill imagined a blue light surrounding him, imagining being able to fly. He lifted off the ground, easily getting used to it as he followed the floating stone head, flying out to find his sister and Robbie facing Tad.

They both were in consternation, Pacifica pulling at her face, now a greenish color. One of her fears was losing her cuteness, as she always said. Robbie was running from a video game character, who he recognized as Rumble Mcskirmish. Clenching his fists, laser beams shot from his hand, obliterating the character into binary. He dropped gently onto the stone with a grin. "How-?" Robbie questioned, only stopped by the fury dancing in the demon's eyes. "Just imagine something, and it happens." He replied tersely, a confident smirk now directed at Tad.

"How did you find out about that?" He sounded with disbelief, the tone melting away. Pacifica raised her fists, cats at the ends of them, a smile of her own brightly shining with her braces. She propelled them forward, and if it was even possible, smiled wider at Tad's reaction to the cats attacking his form. Robbie was loading something to right, cocking the bazooka and putting in rainbow capsule shell, moving it so it rested over his shoulder. 

"This is cool. I need to get a real one." And when he said something was cool it was a surprise, typically as he kept his thoughts to himself mostly.

When Tad blasted the last one of him, he pointed a finger at Bill and a laser shot out. Pacifica was quick to raise her arms, covering them in pink hamster balls. She let them die down as Robbie pointed it to the demon, pulling onto the trigger. It exploded from the tip, nearly sending him flying backwards. It sped through the air, blowing up and covering the area in a thick stream of rainbow fog. Bill was coughing, walking through it cautiously and grabbing onto his sisters arm. She was also holding onto Robbie's wrist, them all looking to be in triumph. That didn't last long. The space around them faded to white and they floated, Tad fixing his bowler hat. 

"Okay okay, I'll admit. You are stronger than I expected." Tad closed his eye, twirling the cane.

"But don't think this is the last of me you'll see. We don't give in lightly." He stared down to the trio for a moment before whirling around. "The bazooka idea was good, I'll give it to ya. See you around kids." Before he vanished, a wheel flashed in the abyss, showing a variety of symbols. Bill was only able to process some of it before it was gone. A light began to corrupt their bodies. 

"We're waking up.." Robbie said, watching the corruption with wonder. It engulfs them completely and the smell of dust and old man brings them back from their sleep.

Leaning up, they are all checking their bodies, before finally falling into attention on Stan. The man was awake, confusion flitting at the three. They were all on the floor somehow, to his thoughts, and he can't help but think of the nightmare he had. Gideon had took over the Shack. He laughed at the memory of it. Bill is barely able to register the explosion right as it happens, knocked backward and wincing at the incessant ringing. He leans up, despite the protests of his body, seeing Gideon with a rather smug expression as he holds the deed in his hand over the crumbed debris. He glares, but by then he is just trembling.

The Shack, simply spoken, is gone from that moment.

But neither Bill nor Pacifica would let their summer escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That 'Everything is the same until that' tag is a lie and you know it.
> 
> I bet you guys expected someone else as the Cipher counterpart, huh?
> 
> The feedback received was appreciated :). It made me really happy. I do hope you guys enjoy this AU, even if it is a bit far fetched. I like to imagine their original GF personalities are still kind of attached. Bill's aggression to Tad and in general noted.
> 
> Hopefully after next chapter we'll get to the "real" canon-divergence stuff. These chapters are merely semi-canon support beams for the story, since it felt like rushing in after Sock Opera would of left out some of the info I wanted to implement.
> 
> Happy late Halloween and see ya sunstones :D.


	3. Nemo Effugere Lapsos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recreation of Sock Opera.
> 
> Tad gets impatient, Bill gets frustrated a lot, and Paz needs a reverend. Pine trees are awfully bright, aren't they?

Click.

Click.

Click.

He breathes deeply, eyes reflecting the screen. His fingers flew across the keyboard, typing away at the keys. Using the other hand to grab the can of pitt cola, he chugs it down and sets it aside to continue his research effectively. "Demons," He murmurs, scrolling down the page. Opening up a picture, it is a lot different from what he saw. From what he saw them to truly be.

He went back to the homepage, subconsciously typing in 'Tad Strange'. There was absolutely no results except for a few blogs or words that were put close enough together it wasn't a name anymore. His eyes dart to the laptop, curiosity once again bubbling. He once again ignores it, going back to getting information on the paranormal. I'll talk to Pacifica about it later.

In the morning, the thought is merely in the back of his mind. Robbie, who is by the snowglobes, cleaning the shelf with a duster, has a concerned look on his features. Bill is absentmindedly fiddling with a pencil with a Stan pencil-head. Circles are prominent even against his tanned skin, a dark and hollow purple. "Are you okay Bill?" Robbie walks over, putting away the duster and taking the spot behind the cashier.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just..tired.." He stopped between his talking to yawn, dropping his head onto the counter a little too quickly and hissing at the impact. Robbie quirks an eyebrow, "whatever you say. Teens should get at least 8 and a half hours of sleep from around 9 PM." Bill is mumbling to himself about the research, keeping things in mind for later to write down. The raven haired male can't help but notice him clutching the laptop to his stomach, the same one they found in the bunker.

He scoffed quietly. All the blond did was carry it around all the time, holding it like it was a delicate doll. Worried does not begin to cut it, maybe even a little scared. Why would he be so interested in it that he'd risk his health? I guess that's just what Bill always did, and stopping him would probably be a ridiculous thought.

That day he decides to tell his twin sister and get her help. She was awfully curious about it too and he'd said he wanted it for two days, but he wanted to see what the laptop was about with her sooner than that. They headed to the Gravity Falls library, sitting down by the window seat. "You ready to find out who the author is and unravel all the mysteries of Gravity Falls?" Bill grinned. 

"Heck yeah!" Pacifica replied. Bill tucked his legs inward and set the laptop between them, holding his breath as he opened the lid. Meeting with a eight letter password was one thing that was instantly frustrating. "The possibility of finding the password is impossible.." He groaned, the initially happy mood dropping instantly.

"What you aren't going to make some calculation?" Pacifica laughed, her twin's lips twitching up a little but otherwise paying attention to the screen of black with green lettering. He knew the possibilities, 7.2 million. Telling her that would officially dub him the 'nerdiest of nerds' if she didn't already call him one. He started to randomly thinking of eight letter words, starting to type them out. Incorrect. "Here let me try!" Pacifica typed in 'tacocat' giving her brother a serious expression despite how ridiculous the password was.

Her face soon split into a smile, noticing his frown. "Don't worry we'll figure it out! Paz is here to help ya! With your brains and my laser focus there's nothing that distract us from-" She was stopped by singing. "Do you hear that?" She turned her attention to a boy around their age singing, a bee puppet on one hand and a purple book one in the other. The children chorused as he brought the two puppets into a kiss, Bill cringing. Pacifica was entranced, pulling a book from seemingly out of nowhere. "Buh bump. Buh bump." She opened the book, emphasizing the heart pop-up.

"Oh man." Bill sighed.

He watched her walk over to the puppeteer before directing himself to the book shelves. Reaching onto his tip toes, he dragged a book off the row, settling himself back in the seat and flipping the pages. He started to type in the eight letter words, silently hoping that one of them would work and they wouldn't really have to go through 7.2 million of them. If he even had the time.

Seeing in the reflection of the laptop, he could sense the anxious movement of his sister, who was beginning to walk up behind him. "Uh bro-bro?" She sounded nervous too. "Yeah?" He replied back in a detached way, flipping the page again and once more typing in another word. "Can you help me set up a play?" He was struck out of the cluttered mess that was his mind, turning in the seat to look at her properly. 

"Why?" His eyebrows drew in, not out of reluctance but why she'd want to do it in the first place.

"Well I may of kind of, I mean, I did tell him I was interested in puppets and that I had a play.." He groaned. "-and I didn't mean it to come out that way! Can you help me Billbie?" She clasped her hands together, some of the uncharacteristically jittery nature fading into a sunny one. He couldn't deny his sister, so he didn't. She practically broke his ribs by hugging him tightly and swinging him around in her arms, "thank you! I promise to help you figure out the code afterward!"

And that was a promise.

*;**;*

The play began with the puppets.

Buying used and thrown out socks to decorate later, he kicked open the door and she skipped in, the basket in her arms jingling with her. She was excited from both the idea of the play and the Pazzy Juice burning in her system, drunk on a sort of puppy love for the puppeteer she met just the other day. She knew it was destiny and she was determined to make this play the best of them all. 

She spun in a circle, plopping to the floor unceremoniously and sorting through the socks. She instantly had a glue gun by her side, one hundred - and no exaggeration - packs of plastic eyes, cylinders of glitter, and any household item she could find from the inner roll of the toilet paper to a fridge magnet.

Over the next few days, it was a cycle of sorts. He would help her with the puppets along with Wendy, Soos, and Robbie, and then during the night would fail over and over in figuring out the password to the laptop. He pinched his nose, hating the sound the 'incorrect' made. He snuck a glance to his sleeping sister before punching in another word, crossing off the last one with red ink on a piece of paper. That paper only had some of the possibilities. 

The pen found it's way between his teeth, chewing on it. He was starting to taste ink but ignored it, instead just chewing on it more softly. It was hard not to crave the ink flavor, especially when the fails were starting to frustrate him.

He hit his head against the keyboard, breathing in deeply. This was okay. Yeah this was definitely okay. In the morning he approached Pacifica, who was walking out into the hall, the socks in her arms. "When do you think you can help Paz?" His tone wasn't rude but the words were definitely something he instantly wanted to take back. Luckily, she wasn't bothered, shifting the socks in her arms to better acquaint them. 

"Like I told you, later today when I give these to Candy and Grenda. I promised didn't I?" Her smile is placating, honest and truthful. He's then fixing his hat quietly as she walks away. The next day his head is fuzzy and he's sure he's unstable, watching Pacifica talk with Gabe, who had just rolled in on rollerskates and took everyones breath away, except his. He didn't like the guy, and maybe it was just his protectiveness, but he just didn't.

When she grabbed the box of socks she gathered, he approached her. Her expression was unreadable when he insisted again for help. Candy and Grenda watch as the siblings fight for perhaps the second most intense fight of that summer. "Is breaking the promise really worth your crush-of-the-week? We are so close and your obsessed with him!" Bill shouted. Pacifica's lips drew into a frown, her finger touching his chest and lightly pushing him backward, "me? Obsessed? Look at you! Your just as obsessed with that laptop as I am with him! You barely get any sleep and stay up all night! I said I would help you later, and that's that!" She picked up the box and brushed past him to the girls.

When his steam wouldn't leave, he stomped off, muttering to himself. He was angry and disappointed, who could blame him? He ignored how those words stung him, grabbing the laptop again and hopping onto the bed. Fine by me. He thought to himself bitterly. When she came upstairs last night she was quiet, darting over to her bed and slipping under the covers. The air was tense and it was left without their sibling goodnight. He spent it with the clattering of keys, fed up with everything at this point. He needed some air. He closed the laptop and dropped onto the floor, walking along it carefully as to make no noise.

He pulled off his vest and replaced it with a nice and warm jacket, leaving behind the room to make way down the stairs and to the front door. Closing the door as softly ad possible, he stepped down onto the ground. He walked towards the woods of towering pine trees, taking a deep breath to calm his frustrations. His breath came out in white puffs, escaping into the resplendently starry sky, which was a majestic swirl of deep violets and engulfed with the blurry specks of distant asterisms. It reminded him of his own, a hand swiping over the birthmark of the summer triangle. He trudged through the mud, avoiding the intimidation of the trees as he strolled to a certain depth within the trees, not wanting to wander too far from home.

He wasn't worried about his great uncle waking up, the man practically slept like the dead. Probably snoring right now and muttering profanities during his REM, having been prone to sleep talking. Slipping away from Pacifica for a long amount of time would probably end unfortunate too, she had a sixth sense of a kind. She'd probably feel the separation within her gut and wake up, leading to a disaster and a very angry uncle. It wouldn't be too long, Bill just needed to take a breather and think, and the woods while frightening were calming in a way. Gravity Falls was more of a home than Piedmont ever was.

Pulling the jacket closer to him, his hands cupping it to his cheeks, warmth started to seep into his fingers. He brought them to his arms, hugging the laptop protectively. A meadow ahead of grass swayed with the breeze, a single log sitting between the forestation. Bill sat down, shifting onto the wood and popping open the lid for the hundredth time. The green letters flashed, nearly blinding him in the darkness of night. They were taunting, mocking, so bold in aggravating him. He rubbed his eyes, he was officially going crazy. When you thought of an inanimate object as a sentient being, you were crossing the line.

Falling into reverie, he started to type up again. Spooking. Craniums. Reawaken. Slamming his head onto the keyboard and entering the next password possibility. Vocalize. McGucket. Volcanic. His fingers were punching them in, no longer caring about the damage it could cause. EHDUR. Switching to the caeser cipher was something he hadn't thought of until that point. He flexed his fingers, boiling blood and electricity a cocktail of certain destruction. Too many password attempts failed. Memory wipe in 5 minutes. The flashing red made his eyes widen, grabbing to each sides of the screen. "No, no, no!" He exclaimed in panic, his hands trembling to hold it. "What do I do? What do I do?"  
He only had one more password guess left. God, he'd never figure it out with just one.

Triangle.

He fell backward, instinctually flailing his arms. What was that? He blinked rapidly, scrambling onto his knees and looking over the log. His eyes couldn't of widened any further, breath caught in his throat. His heart was thudding painfully and he was sure looking at the bright light for too long would be alike that of staring at the sun. He was focused so intently, only somewhat realizing the world around him turned grey shaded, grass blowing into a stop and moonlight filtering and scattering like a diamond. Whatever it was, it appeared from behind the trees, glowing through the needles and gaps. It was close to coming into the clearing, voices screaming for Bill to run.

He couldn't, his body was stiff and his muscles were refusing to cooperate. He was screaming at himself internally, hands leaving indents in the wood and splinters splitting into the skin. The blue light ceased, returning within a second as the glow followed it into the meadow. Words were unable to form in Bill's mouth, shaking like a leaf under the intimidation the dazzling light caused. It finally cleared up from the fog, a being now susceptible with an outline of a seafoam colored gleam. It was a shape of a tree.

A pine tree. Bill noted. A blue pine tree.

The two-dimensional being floated down, a crevice suddenly fracturing towards the third symbol of solid needles, a large yellow eye rolling from up to stare downward to him. He was sure his lungs weren't even expanding, perspiration in tandem with the chills creeping through his body. "Y--You..w..who?" He could barely get the words out, his mouth parched and lips dry. Noticing the boys discomfort, the ethereal being did something, causing him to be liberated of his muscle's tension. He immediately shot his arms to curl around him, scooting backwards from the log and the being. What a typical question. The voice was booming, loud yet not so cynical.

He flinched, hearing it resound within his mind in a louder octave, high pitched for it's manly undertone yet weirdly conciliating. "Pine Tree." The being replied to the question, the light fading in and out, alighting the dull sky. When he could feel his voice come back to him, he was talking, "what are you?" He was afraid to find out. Afraid to know. 

"You humans and your questions. I'll digress, I'm here to help you." It floated closer, the aura emanating burning Bill's skin, luckily not enough to hurt. The eye was scrutinizing him, the pine tree twirling around before taking place a few feet in front of him. 

"Help..?" Pine Tree didn't respond, simply closing his eye. "I'm a guardian spirit."

The eye opened again, two black arms emerging from the sides. Guardian spirit. "Yep kid, guardian spirit." He repeated, and Bill could strangely imagine him grinning. "I have a deal to propose for you." Bill's eyebrows knitted together, his hands becoming clammy. The last time he ever heard 'deal' was from his research and when Pacifica told him of what Gideon had done. That the little annoying psychic made a deal with a demon, a demon who entered his uncle's mind and tried to steal the code to the safe. That had ended terribly on Gideon's part, now being in jail at the age of eleven. His expression was easy to read, doubt and hesitance showing.

"You should make the deal before that laptop of yours blows it's cork." Bill glanced over to the laptop, now laying on his lid on the ground, only reading two minutes left. He didn't have time to contemplate and ask questions. He stared back up at it, watching as it clasped it's hands behind it's back. "Time is ticking, kid." Pine Tree continued, eye crinkling in amusement at his hesitation. 

"Well what do you want?" Bill inquired, switching between the laptop and the spirit. The clock was now checking down from under a minute. His heart was hammering faster. "Just some information in exchange for the password, then I'm on my way." Pine Tree extended his hand, quite knowing already what the kid was going to answer with.

A ruby red flame climbed up his small arm, fingers flexed. Bill looked between him and the countdown. 15..14..13..12.. "Deal." He grabbed the hand and a rush of flame licked his arm, their hands separating. Triangle. He was quick to grab the laptop, fingers clattering over the buttons in alarm. 3..2..1. He typed the last letters 'l and e' and watched as it hit zero just as he punched in the enter key. The screen zapped into a miniscule, seeming to have turned off completely until it lit up again. He saw the home screen, heart dropping when he found there to be no files whatsoever not corrupted.

The screen began to buzz in black and white snow, clouding over file names and their properties. He stood up, heart dropping to his feet, leaving the laptop to the grass, his head snapping to behind him. "It didn't-" He stopped midsentence. The space was still grey but the being, no, the guardian spirit, was long gone. He found himself tripping backwards.

He leaned up with a large gulp of air, eyes wide and body quivering. The grass was once more green and swaying, the gentle sound of wind bristling past bringing him to reality. He had fallen asleep on the ground, laptop clutched in his arms. He looked down to the laptop, still on the homescreen, files still corrupted. He was mad with himself, angry and upset and confused.

What happened? All he knew was that the information he spent days trying to crack was gone. All gone. He dropped his head into his hands. That dream felt so real, so alike that of Tad, with how his sister described the world going grey. He knew what happened, happened. He just didn't know what to make of it, the password ringing in his mind.

*;**;*

The next day, it was all forgotten. The memories of the dream anyway. He still couldn't get over the fact all the information was gone, throwing the laptop unceremoniously into a drawer. It was useless now, only a mere thread tethering him to the day they all went into the bunker, then to when he got turned down by Wendy. He was used to it by now, turned down by both Wendy and Tambry. Both uninterested, both using the same line 'I'm too old for you' and saying they should just be 'friends'. He found himself making air quotes in real life, sighing and dropping his arms limply. Whatever.

He still couldn't ignore how he felt about them, and it would probably take a long time for him to get over it. He walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and popping open pitt cola, which had recently become a way for him to unwind and mostly because it was an addiction. "Hey Billbie." The nickname startled him from his thoughts, nearly spilling the drink all over himself. "Is it okay if I use your journal in the show?" He stared at her for a few minutes, completely out of it. He shrugged, remembering their fight for a moment, "I don't know." Chugging down the rest of the soda, he tossed it into the trash. "Pleaseee?" She begged with doe eyes, too irrestible for even her brother to handle. "Go ahead." He replied after not much protest, earning a small and unsure smile before Pacifica was speeding off.

"Thanks bro-bro." He smiled. She hadn't used that in awhile. He walked out of the house, meeting up with Wendy, Robbie, and Soos, who were on the porch. He could still see the other car leaving. 

"You ready to go man?" Wendy sent him a smile. Bill looked up at her, "yep." 

She nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets, walking over to the truck. Bill climbed in with Robbie and Soos, putting on his seatbelt. By time they made it to the play, Pacifica was scrambling to make everything perfect, peering out to her brother and the others in the front row, Gabe not too far away. She swallowed, remembering the talk about another play he went to of another girl's, completely shooting it down. She would have to step up her game definitely. She wringed her blonde hair, curling her fingers in the locks, slightly nervous.

It wouldn't stop her though. She wanted to catch the puppeteer's attention, maybe even go out after the play. It was another summer romance she was adamant in chasing after. Swallowing, she peeked out again, seeing her brother giving her a thumbs up. She could do this. Yeah. Pulling the curtains closed, she stepped into the back stage. The script was at her ready, setting up the puppets and props with the help of Candy and Grenda. Now all she needed was a reverend.

At the start of the play, curtains opening, voices reverberating, Bill watched. It was just like his sister to make the script so happy and fluffy, reflecting her spirits brightly. He was so entranced, he barely noticed that by the time the curtains closed for the first half, Robbie was gone.

"Where'd Robbie go?" Bill questioned to Wendy. "He went backstage. I don't know what he's doing." She replied, shrugging afterwards. Bill had a coiling feeling in his gut, extremely unpleasant and made him want to throw up the contents of that morning. He remembered Robbie saying nothing that morning, not even acknowledging anyone, just..silent. It wasn't like him to be quiet, no matter how introverted like Bill he was. 

He was half expecting Robbie to have been in the seat, telling scientific facts of certain scenes his sister played out. "I'll be right back." He forced a smile and stood up from his seat, walking behind the curtain.

He looked around, hoping to see him somewhere. Pacifica and her friends were huddled up, going over the script and setting up a puppet of their great uncle, not noticing his appearance there. He walked across the stage and to the other side, stepping down the hall. "Here it is.." He turned on his heel and raced to the corner, peeking out. Robbie? Said male picked up the journal on the crate, tossing it around in his hands. 

"Ha! Those children won't know what hit them." The voice, although like Robbie's, sounded familiar in a way to that demons. Shaking his head, he thought he was just imagining things. However, the form turning to him makes his glance harden.

A flash of blue whites, a elongated horizontal pupil flashing before returning to normal. "Oh hey Bill! What are you doing back here?" Although the voice sounds like his, and perhaps the personality was on point, it was unsettling. The grin that split across Robbie's face proved it. The damn thing was mocking him. "What are you doing in his body?" Bill stepped out, his fists clenched. Just hope that this didn't ruin his sister's play.

'Robbie' lifted an arm to push up his glasses, glinting for a mere moment, the grin never leaving. "I don't know what your talking about." His cynical voice continued, holding the journal under his arm. His weight shifted, "you wouldn't want to ruin Pacifica's play now would you?"

Bill's entire body was trembling. The thing was threatening him. Fucking demons and their endless taunting. He was just asking to be knocked out of that body. Luckily, and if it weren't for the original Robbie, he wouldn't of researched on demons. He wouldn't of known they could force them out of a body. Bill tensed, awaiting Tad to make a move. Hell if he was going to let him get away with that journal, whatever he wanted to do with it. As far as he could tell, the demon wanted one purpose with it. To destroy it. He was first to launch forward, Tad evading with a maniacal laugh.

"Too slow!" He was taunting him every time he went in for a strike, his blood boiling. He lunged for the book, somehow being able to grapple onto it. He started to pull and await the right moment, Tad's ebony eyebrows furrowing. "You don't know what you're getting into Bill. You should just leave it alone." He ripped the book from his grip.

"And why is that?!" Bill shouted, out of breath, swinging around when he got ahold of it again. Tad didn't reply, the journal escaping from his hold and sending Bill tumbling. He skidded backward on the floorboards, groaning as his head hit the floor painfully. His head was throbbing, vision dancing and he was spluttering for air from the impact. Tad approached, his mouth looking like three instead of one. 

"Everything is going to change, and if you and your sister know any better, you'd stick out of it." He bent down, his voice wavering from the blood rush sent to Bill's head. Despite his pain, the twin was quick onto his feet, walking backwards.

"I'm not.." He swallowed, trying to catch his voice. "Going..to let you have..the journal.." He narrowed his eyes. Tad walked forward at a casual pace, smiling sadistically. "Whatever you say. You won't be able to keep it safe when I disembowel you and leave your body for your sister to find." Bill shuddered and started to sprint, hearing the footsteps close behind him. A hand barely brushed his neck, hearing inhuman snarls behind him.

"Paz!" Bill exclaimed, trying not to trip as she came into view. Candy and Grenda were elsewhere luckily. Pacifica looked up from the clipboard, dropping it when seeing what was Robbie, who she'd been trying to find to play the reverend, chasing after Bill. If it wasn't for the inhuman grin and laughing coming from the older teen, she would of thought they were just chasing each other.

The curtains went up and she hooked onto his arm, them both running out onto the stage. Candy and Grenda watched from the sidelines, confused at what was happening. "Tad.." Bill explained tersely, out of breath. Pacifica was shocked for a moment, her glance hardening and nodding. He dropped his head, laughing. "If you just give me the journal we can both go our separate ways. I won't ever see you again." Bill's grip on Pacifica's wrist tightened protectively. That was a complete and utter lie and he knew it himself. Tad was just the being he imagined to be manipulative.

"That's a lie." He gritted his teeth together. Pacifica looked to the journal and back to the demon. "You'll have to go through us first if you want it!" She smiled toward her brother. They both grinned in unison. "I guess you give me no choice." Without warning he ran forward, nearly falling over as the two separated. He tipped his head up, horizontal pupil widening slightly. Bill searched the room frantically. 

Anything, anything. He barely dodged a hand trying to grab his vest, the demon only successfully doing so when he quickly recuperated. He lifted the boy into the air, teeth showing with his grin. His hand grabbed the book, pulling it from his fingers as his hand shifted to a choke around Bill's neck. The abnormal strength even in the body kept the Pines twin up high, trying to get some grasp on the situation.

"P..Paz.." He choked out, getting her attention from her stupor. His eyes darted to the cake prop hanging by a rope, trying to signal her. He smiled when she nodded, getting the message almost instantly and escaping without Tad's notice. While Tad continued to pry it from his hand, surprised by the kids strength when it came down to it, he was watching the rafters. Pacifica appeared at the top, silently snapping the garden clippers. 

Tad hissed when Bill ripped the journal back, taking the chance to bite his hand. He dropped Bill, nursing his hand with animalistic growling. Bill stepped backwards with each step the demon took toward him, not even daring to look up until the right moment. "I'm starting to think letting you two off is too easy. Maybe when I'm done with that journal, I'll personally visit to make you suffer as I carve through that flesh of yours." He took two steps forward toward the blond.

Bill kept backing up, wondering why nothing was happening, dangerously close to dropping off the stage. Pacifica was conflicted, wanting to save her brother but then..She turned her head, seeing Gabe. Or win his affections. She was confused and she was so close to snapping the garden clippers, that were currently around the rope, ready to end the play. End all she worked for. She closed her eyes tightly, divided between both. Remembering how they fought earlier, how obsessed her brother was with that laptop, how they fought over their own obsessions.

She never had any doubt she would cut the rope.

Pacifica remembered that he had her back no matter what, and helped him in situations where she needed it. Right now she needed to help him. She was determined and snapped the clippers, successfully snapping the rope. Her brother was currently taunting the demon, keeping his mind off of the falling prop. The impact more or less took their breaths, the body crumbling beneath. When there was no longer debris flying, Bill approached the body and touched it, finding it to be unconscious. "I'm sorry Robbie." He murmured.

At the name, the bodies eyes fluttered open, revealing a confused expression. "W..what happened?" He groaned, getting help from the twins who pulled the prop off of him. "That jerkface demon possessed you." Pacifica's lips rounded. 

Robbie shook his head, "I..I didn't even make a deal.." He was stopped short by the crowd booing. People began to leave, shouting about how terrible the play was set up and the acting, walking out of the theatre. Bill rubbed a hand down his arm, watching Pacifica walk over to Gabe. The puppeteer turned his head away, disappointed, bringing his puppets together into a kiss. 

"Ew." Pacifica shivered, walking back up on stage. She was obviously down, but she smiled nonetheless, glad it was over.

"Awkward sibling hug?" She asked, grinning brightly. "Awkward sibling hug." He pulled her into a hug, smiling as well. He pulled away, exhausted, rubbing at the bruise on his neck from the demons hold. "I'm sorry for not taking into consideration about your play..it was really selfish." Bill admitted, starting to frown. 

Pacifica copied the expression, "no I should be apologizing. I was so caught up in Gabe I didn't realize I should've helped you, no matter what." They couldn't resist their lips twitching into a smile, both laughing.

Bill walked with his sister off the stage, Robbie not far behind. He laid back in his steps to walk aside the older teen, unsure of how to talk about him getting possessed. The other didn't look like he wanted to talk about it, flat out avoiding his gaze. "You okay? We didn't break anything did we?" Bill asked, earning a teasing laugh in return. "I'm okay, probably a few bruises, but there wasn't any other choice was there?" 

There was, the situation was kind of restraining them though. While talking with her friends about the change up, he swore he heard something. We'll be back. It made him shiver, throwing it to the back of his mind with the other paranoid thoughts of his. He couldn't help but wonder though what this 'we' meant, forcing a grin to his sister as she talked all the way home.

　

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some divergence next chapter, these fillers were needed though, woops. I hope next chap makes up for that.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a terrible writer, woop woop.


End file.
